Tag Archives: THE RATIONAL POST

I have seen Gods fly. I have seen men build weapons that I couldn’t even imagine. I have seen aliens drop from the sky. But I have never seen anything like this…

Yesterday I went to an event… I say event in hindsight, because I thought I was going to see a movie. A comic book adaptation at that. What could these images shrouded in Hollywood marketing and historically inaccurate dialogue possibly mean? Despite all the hoopla and because of all the rave reviews I, in great Virgo fashion, kept my reservation at the skeptical table open…just in case. And as I sat there minutes before the start of what promised to be epic, with my big tub of buttered popcorn, and tall glass of imported beer, of which I watched the bubbles float to the top and pop almost as fast as they were created, A sense of concern filled me. What if all this hype lasts as long as, those bubbles in my beer? What if it isn’t as good as they say? What if this turns out to be a big disappointment?

Admittedly this was going to be about the Holidays and what I deem pointless, beyond the days off work… But as we are in a time of social media and I am also a slave to the Gram I must address the viral elephant in the room. Or better yet, in this case, the Monkey on the sweater. By now I’m sure we have all heard of the H&M ad featuring the little black boy, awfully adorned in a sweater emblazoned with the words “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle”. An advertisement that caused a monsoon of backlash with accusations of racism. Now whether you see the wrong in this, or excuse it as a minor PC infraction to be ignored for “bigger” problems, allow me to give a different perspective. The theory is simple, although the practice is complex, Racism is a Marketing plan. That’s it! More than any other incident this one was what made it excruciatingly clear to me. You can present all your “reasons” and EXCUSES and lay them at the foot of my empathy, in hopes of being knighted as sensible, but I’m sorry this King, much like the King James of the NBA is not amused. It’s hard for me to believe that an international company, who does millions of dollars of research on culture and trends in any of the countries they are even considering putting their stores in, is oblivious to the racial unrest AROUND THE WORLD. No one in the marketing department thought “hey maybe this isn’t a good idea”. It passed various levels of executive scrutiny and flew through all possible reflag throwers to make it onto the internet?!?! Yea right!!! My logical mind can only conclude that this was done on purpose. Now I’m not saying that there was a great conspiracy plotted to further oppress black people around the world, by reinforcing a stereotype by displaying negative images in media. That would just get dismissed by many of you as over the top scheme, from a very creative mind. So, I’ll stick to a much more viable motivation for such a “mishap”. Money!! Again, it’s just that simple. Two phrases that we hear repeatedly “Controversy sells” and “All publicity is good publicity”. They are telling us they are willing to do whatever it takes for promotion and marketing which leads to the root of all evil, MONEY! Think about it. Almost anyone who has some form of social media was focused on this topic for at least 24 hours. Sharing pictures, opinions, and even the brand logo of the company. What better promo can you possibly ask for! Yea you lose a few customers who feel strongly about the ad, but not the ones who count their money more than they ever count their morals, which is unfortunately most of us. All you must do is wait out an easily bored society, that will quickly forget this crisis as soon as another one shows itself. Just make it as subtle as possible so that not only can no one can definitively prove that it was done on purpose but also make it easy to dismiss the outrage by most of those it doesn’t directly affect. Then you just put up a few sale signs, in the stores, and add in a member of said affected community to dismiss the practice as “nothing” and telling their own to “get over it” and it’ll all blow over. And much to their credit, that’s exactly how it works! As a result, I’m not sure who’s more to blame, the customers or the company. I’m not so sure who the bigger monkey in this jungle is.

I stood there, waiting for the bus in the cold. Body balled up and crouching in attempt to keep all the heat in and all the breeze out. From the corner of my eye I could see someone approaching. Not paying it much mind, while all my concentration was on staying warm. As the figure got closer I noticed there was no change in the stride, no recognition that I was directly in the path that they were planning to go through. I also realized that the person was feminine, and for a moment, the chivalry in me felt the need to step aside. But it was too late. By the time I could have dodged this incoming human traffic she was already too close to me. So close that I could only assume that she intended to stop in front or go around me. I wasn’t blocking a sidewalk or standing aimlessly in the doorway. There was space on either side of me in which to pass. There were only 2 options left, either I would move out of the way without any prompt or request to, or she would simply say “excuse me”. I stood my ground, and verbally so did she. So, I looked at her, as my game plan was to act as if I hadn’t seen her, just to see if she really wasn’t going to say anything. I mean even the pilgrims offered some turkey and cranberry sauce to the Aboriginals before taking over their rightful land. I felt an excuse me, paled in comparison. She damn near stood chest to chest with me, while trying to squeeze between myself and the glass wall. It was not until she felt her jacket brush mine that the light went off. “Excuse me”, was slipped through her lips so silently, as if it needed to tip toe passed her teeth, in fear they might bite the head of the words off. I responded with “Ahhh there ya go!”, took 2 steps back and shook my head, muttering to myself, “What happened to manners?!”.

Seriously where have manners gone? The simplest phrases of gratitude and request, have seemed to all but disappear. Perhaps it’s my gray-haired outlook or the rose-colored glasses I adorn to look at my childhood, but it seems as if, examples of courtesy have all but disappeared. Don’t believe me? Try holding a door for someone these days, or stand in one spot and see if anyone passing will say “excuse me” to pass by. You will most likely be greeted with silence and a blank stare of disorientation, as if you are the one in the wrong for expecting anything more. And this look of bewilderment isn’t the result of a generation gap. That’s the most ironic and annoying thing about this mystery of the missing manners. You’d think that this all can be attributed to the nonchalance of youthful bliss, but unfortunately that is not the case. It seems the adults have fallen victim to following the practices of those they are appointed to be guiding. I used to suffer corporal punishment as a child for lack of manners and respect. Nowadays parents are laughing when their kids step passed adults with no acknowledgement. Indiscretions that are excused with “he’s in a mood, don’t mind him.” A privilege of emotional freedom I was never afforded. So, in this case, age is just a number. A number that signifies how many times one can be dismissive and aloof to the practices of common courtesy. Unfortunately, it has become clear to me that courtesy has become as common as sense. And we all know it’s not that common.

Come put it on over till it spill
Take until they’ve had their fill
Sad to see the old slave mill
Is grinding slow, but grinding still
-Damian Marley

No no no we not oppressed at all!!… (police brutality at an all time high!)…cmon man you stilll holding on to slavery?!?… (Black sold into slavery in 2017)…Government has done everything for you to be equal… (Donald Trump is leader of the Free world, Trudeau has alloted 100mil to apologize to LBGT for the discrimination they have had to endure)…well if everything is so bad for you ppl you should do something about it!!… (Colin Kapernick is still waiting for a job, after DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!)…Cmon man i love black people and color shouldn’t matter!!… (just don’t bring up any of your issues around me because as far as I’m concerned your issues are not relevant, real or important!! And I will dismiss them with talks about reverse racism and your overly sensitive nature.)….Yea. ..I know…I know…

Throughout time we have had many inventions. Many things created by human beings to improve our lives in general. From something as simple as the remote control for your television to something as impactful on our lives as the television itself. Whether it be for our safety (the traffic light) or our pleasure (the push up bra), it can be assumed that most of these conceptions were made with an impact of progressive intent. Things made to push humanity forward in one way or the other. A trend that I don’t see ending, despite all of the Artificial Intelligence destruction theories ala IROBOT, and the like. The internet and more specifically, Social media is not an exception to the rule. Both in regards to the positive effect on society and in the possible hand in its self-destruction. Now I don’t pretend to read minds or know what a next man plans for his or her creation, but I like to believe that the motivation goes beyond monetary. I like to believe that Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey and even Tom Anderson really wanted the world to be a better place through these apps and social media sites they developed. I mean there is so much potential in the idea that Facebook and the like can make the world smaller, by making human interaction a much easier practice. The internet and social media could be the greatest communication devices since the cellphone. Just think about it. It’s much easier to share ideas, cultures, and theories. In its most ideal form a Muslim man from Afghanistan should be able to communicate with a Jewish man in Israel, giving them both a chance to discuss their differences and hopefully find truth and understanding in the end. Or a black nationalist can or could be able to send a message to a white supremacist and have a dialogue on what separates them. Unfortunately like most good things intended by God, humans distort. We have found a way to turn something that should’ve created a unity, into something that aids in our division. That same black nationalist doesn’t reach out to that Klan member for a better understanding of his views. No that would be too optimistic. Instead he posts his own in an offensive manner, almost daringly inviting the supremacist to step into his electronic ring and commence in a typed out slug fest. The Muslim man doesn’t get to engage in a debate of religion and find a common ground with his counterpart Christian. No, no that would be far to humane, ironically. Instead the Christian will post not only his devout belief in Jesus but also his disdain for anyone who places a similar level of faith in the Quran. Social media has become at its simplest a worldwide roasting session for anyone who doesn’t fit into a particular box of normalcy. This of course is determined by whomever is doing the roasting. You would think by having a platform that allows the smallest amongst us to have a voice equal to the largest, could only be an improvement on civilization. But we’ve found a way to degenerate it into an egomaniacal, opinionated and judgemental tool. Better yet a weapon that we can freely swing and chop off heads of confidence with anonymity. It has made the weakest among us even the playing field with trolling and the strongest to beat down those who don’t measure up. The fitness guru can make fun of the fat girl, all while really being a nerd behind a keyboard trying to feel better about the fact they have no date on a Friday night. A place where one can give their strongest feelings and beliefs on Halloween costumers in black face, only to be vehemently dismissed by someone who subscribes to the theory of “you will always offend somebody.”
Quite simply we have ironically amplified our ability to not listen to each other. We have honed our talent of paying attention not to understand, but to only respond. And we don’t respond in kind, but rather in fury. Much like the fire that was discovered to keep us warm, the net has become a flamethrower burning many to their core. And if we aren’t careful, this or one of our inventions will be the creation of our end.

Try something new today. Step outside of your comfort zone. Jump out of your box. Fly free from you pigeon hole. Become a little different version of yourself. Don’t just try something new, be something new.

The hottest trend on the social media, the GTA anyway, is the now infamous Loom!

Now while I see a lot of negativity going around about this thing, I’d like to focus on the positives I see. I will admit to not knowing all the ins and outs of it. And not really being interested in the facts. I am one of those who said “fuck it, it’s only $135” and threw my financial fedora in the ring. Did I hesitate? Of course!! I meant it is still $135!! Upon originally hearing about it, I thought “this sounds like a good thing. But let me sit back and see how it goes first.” What’s the good side that I saw? The possibility of regular people being able to help each other step up a notch financially. I mean we aren’t talking about millions here, I know but to some of us lowly middle and lower class folks a multiply by 10 come up is like winning the lottery! After all its only $135 right? And while that isn’t a lot of money to me it’s a good amount to some. And to those that look at a $135 like it’s a $1000, you know those people who say things like “Fam, I don’t care if its $5 fam!! I want my loot back now now, like right now bro!!” I will say this don’t risk what you can’t afford. A phrase of common sense no, but WhatsApp groups, FB posts and IG is littered with message of the opposite. Disgruntled investors who feel that their guaranteed gamble was a scam and a farce. So much so that it seems we need to hand out dictionaries with the word INVESTMENT highlighted for a better understanding.

I’m convinced many of us don’t’ understand what it means to “risk” your money. Here’s what I see as the bad side, and it doesn’t have much to do with the loom itself, but with the people running it. The Loom became too big too fast. It was the victim of trendy marketing. The honest Ed salesman pitches of “flipping” your money fast seem to pop up overnight. Not seem. DID! Everyone asking everyone to join THEIR loom. I myself was asked at least 10 times in the last 4 days. For those interested it was way too many options to actually choose one. Imagine you’re walking down the street and suddenly have a craving for a patty and coca bread, and out of nowhere 5 different patty shops pop up on the sidewalk, each advertising the best patty in the world. You would want to try them all but unfortunately there are no samples and you only have a $1.35 to work with. How do you choose? And for not interested in this was a HUGE turn off. Nothing worse than being offered something you don’t want 50 times in a row!! This also had another effect that I believe put the yet undetermined nail in the Loom coffin. It exhausted the market share within days! There was no time for the observers to turn into potential investors. Those of us who watched at first were quickly given reasons not to join up bad people whose looms had dried up. It began to look and smell like a get rich quick scheme, the ones we all fear becoming a victim of. The type that we all hang up the phone on when being told “you are a winner of a million dollars and all you have to do it give me a $1000 to get it. Any of these types of things where you have to bring another person in to get any real money has limit on the amount of people you can fool…I mean convince. Whether Amway, or Primerica, they all have a certain type of person that are attracted to them. Only difference is they are selling products and more importantly they are not trendy. So even though we view Primerica as not cool it’s still around, and is probably still doing well. The reason for that is because they sell you an idea of exclusivity, they make you believe that you are joining something that only special people are a part of. Only the brave ones are willing to risk it, and if you join you’re sure brave!! It’s not just a tug at your pocket book and the lack of colored paper inside. They pull at your very emotion and desire to be a better person. The loomers weren’t able to capitalize on that type of magic.

I don’t know if this is true but I saw one person post saying that the loom archetype has been in other communities for decades. And is used as a form of community financial loan, in which patrons put money in knowing that they will get back enough money to start their own business, and once said business is up in running they are expected to put back into the loom, in order to keep it going. If this is a true story, if even it is loosely based on one, I have to say we may have dropped the ball on this. We may have dropped the money ball!

By the time you read this I will have been on this planet for 40+ years. And like a quote I once heard from a fellow 40 something, “i think I finally got the hang of this thing called life.” And for me the recognition was as simple as it is complex…but I leave you with my lesson something like this ..

On this day in world no copy no clone
But he was born a twin to the greatness unknown
September’s very own, so the crest not a bird
But a lion with a speech, royalty with the words
And now we celebrate what God gave it with a message
Live life like your ALIVE #hereendeththelesson

They often say never forget where you come from. Or as the other saying goes, those who ignore it, are doomed to repeat it. The irony of the last sentence rings even more true when viewing the images of last week’s “Alt right” rally in Charlottesville. In what they claim, intended to be a protest of the removal of confederate monuments, turned into something much more disturbing and complex than just that. An increasingly scary and audacious theme emerged from this demonstration. As if the armpits of the country had secreted the undercurrent of bile and spilled it into one big White Nationalists rally. They had a purpose, and a goal. They claimed to want to tell us that these monuments were a significant part of American history, while being the pillars of the example as to why such history should be tucked away in museums and not displayed in front of government buildings with pride. But none of us should believe this was the only intent. They came to show their power and their numbers. Hundreds of torch welding, hate spewing, furious and entitled sub humans from all across the country, some even from territories of peace, such as my birthplace Canada, gathered to “disagree” with the obviously offensive symbols of the past. And that message was delivered with chants of “Jews will not replace us”! A cadence, echoed with the anger vividly displayed in their blood rushed faces which burned as hot as the Tiki torches they gripped with white knuckled intensity. These men had not just come to protest, they came for a battle. A battle in a war they feel that they have been losing. To them their territory has been invaded by immigrants, and Jews, and blacks, and Muslims, and don’t forget women too. They have lost ground, because all those other categories have taken away jobs and brought nothing but crime into the country that they built. They came with confederate flags to plant in the grounds of where their forefathers were buried in order to reclaim their birthright as the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. The destroying of the confederate statues and plaques only serves as a reminder of these L’s they’ve been taken. And with that mindset, these people didn’t just come to protest they came for war! They didn’t just come to get their voices heard, they came to make sure that their force was felt! Literally!

Is this the year 2017 right? This is the modern era, is it not? This is the future we were aiming for? A time when a black athlete protests peacefully and is not only vilified but basically black balled him out of the league! But a violent protest waged by white men is somewhat supported by the leader of the country both live in. You think if you asked yourself in 1988, if this would be happening in 2017, that your answer would’ve been a yes? I surely don’t think so. We should be shocked and outraged at this digression in the progress of humanity. And yet many of us are not surprised. How can we be when the so called leader of the free world is elected based upon his bigotry and race baiting politics! When his votes are bred from the very hatred that sought to right the “wrong of Obama’s 8 years in office. It is no coincidence that since before Agent Orange took office, the racists seemed emboldened. As if his run to the white house signified a changing of the tide, in their endlessly losing battle. Perhaps this was the time to rise up and push the color line back! This is when Orange would stop the Browning of their nation! It was their call to arms, literally. Raise the confederate flags, and hail Hitler salutes, and Mexican border walls, and high alert immigration laws and stop all outsiders from destroying the good old red, white and blue. You know “Make America great again!!” They had found their leader. And in the after math of the battle waged in Charlottesville Virginia, their leader stood up for them when heinformed the world that they are just “Good People”. He supported these good white supremacists, and well natured Klan members stance and said “So this week it’s Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson’s coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after?” as boldly as those who yelled “Jews will not replace us!” The irony that the leader of the UNITED states, would be supporting the protection of the statues and plaques that symbolized and even idolized the leaders who wished to DIVIDE it. The only place in the world that still celebrates those that fought against its very existence is the USA. Imagine swastikas still perched in the windows of some German homes? Mr. President, you have failed your country. To govern to part of your citizens and not the whole is a failure, but to applaud the efforts of those clamoring for division is a tragedy. You have opened the doors and invited these elements to raise their heads high in pride, for they are in the right, despite being alt left. You Mr. President have fueled the fires of hate and bigotry to appease your own gain and ego. And the saddest part in all this is that Mr. President, your current position may not even exist if your side had won that civil war. The irony indeed.

As the temperatures begin to drop, and the summer days come to an end in the GTA, the city let’s out a collective sigh. Not of relief but of the impending doom upon us. A feeling signified by the last long weekend of the season, the start of the Caribbean Carnival events, the final cleaning of the cottage and the line of soon to be abandoned campers and trailers, rolling back into the city. A general fear begins to creep into my thoughts, as slow as a frozen river but just as terrifying if stuck under it rather than on top of it. Winter is viewed by myself and many of my peers, with the same sentiments as those of the characters in Game of Thrones. I start to pine over the dreaded cold months ahead. Visuals of how many beautiful days were lost in battle with snowstorms and wind-chill factors. With the impending doom of September less than 40 days away, the only light at the end of the tunnel, or the only fire I can see through the blizzard is my vacation! For the last 5 years I’ve been taking an annual cruise with the boys, the yearly man trip, every October. A week on the Caribbean seas and the shores and beaches of 4 or 5 islands. It has been my recharge of solar energy just before the real deep freeze sinks in. It’s the yellow sun to my superman, just after being blasted by Victor Fries’ cannon. It gives my melanin its necessary dose of Vitamin D before I’m reduced to drops of a supplement from a bottle.

But it’s more than any of that.

It’s a vacation!! A word that 5 years ago, would’ve had far less of an emotional reaction from me as it does now. A practice that less than a decade ago I would have dismissed as unessential, I now deem as a vital part of what it truly means to be living. Just a mere 5 years ago I would have thought, “Vacation? Man that’s too much money for me to spend”, now if I had it to spend every week and a career that allowed it, I would! A simple 6 to 10 days in a tropical paradise, being waited on by eager and friendly staff, with liquor and music and sand and blue skies above and turquoise waters below has become like the air I breathe. It’s become my life!! I implore any one to find a better combatant for the winter blues, or year round depression, a more powerful cure for the mundane routine that we all get stuck in than a plane ticket out of town.

But it’s more than even that!!

I believe that out of town trips are an antidote for many of the world’s aliments. In many ways our lives are sectioned off or compartmentalized in terms of global views. We get brief clips on CNN or exaggerated visuals from movie and TV screens of foreign locations, as reference points of how people live in places that we don’t call home. And in this arm chair Anthony Bourdain ability that gives this a very false sense of familiarity with those people and those places. Many of us have passed judgement on areas of the world we have never been to, and never plan to, armed with only a printed story in the newspapers. To me, travelling is essential in the development of humanity. It expands our horizons. Allows us more than just a peak into another person’s life in a different continent. We get to touch those dirt roads, enter those one room flats, dance to that organic music and taste the sweetness of the fruit from palm trees. If even just for a few minutes, it allows us to step into the shoes of the locals.

But even without that…

There is that feeling you get when you’re out there in the world. After the walk from check-in to cabin, lugging them heavy bags through hallways and up the many stairs and into elevators is soon rewarded. When you open that hotel/ cabin room door and walk in, quickly laying all baggage down as soon as you can find a space by the bed you’ve chosen, automatically your steps take you to the balcony, and there welcoming you is what I call The Reason aka The View! The View that intoxicates all your senses. It’s the water that reflects a Toni Morrison book title “The Bluest Eye”. It’s the sun that instantly begins to charge through the layers of your skin with rejuvenating energy. It’s the smell of the salt water, which flies through your nostrils and into your lungs with vigor, gathering up all the remnants of stress and strain that managed to hold to my body, during the flight. It’s the sweet taste of that same stress and strain being discarded with a great exhale, into the blue sky, never to return for at least 7 days. This is life’s reward. This is living!